Zei

Zei

---

Art by RaiStarDragon

Zei's been wandering for a while now. His parents had to keep a close eye on him when he was young so that he didn't wander into a chasm. He never made it a point to travel, he just liked watching the world go by. So he walked or flew, stopping at campfires to chat or grab a meal, chatting with others he met on the winds. Somehow he ended up in a race with a feisty little Wildclaw over Mirrorlight Promenade, which ended in her driving him to the ground and Warden, if that wasn't one of the most fun things he ever did. When he asks her name, she grins and says he'll have to race her again to find out. At that moment, he was smitten. He guesses he'll learn a lot more of the local sights now. Zei waits worriedly in the tunnels, staring out every once in a while at the sun. Non-warriors are only allowed outside with a clan-guard escort with the assault ongoing. The clan has enormous stores of food piled away, enough that they can't run out for years, but he feels their need more keenly now. As a wanderer he never had to worry, fishing in streams or as a guest in a nearby clan. Now, tied to a single place, he understands the hoarding. Once this has all blown over, he thinks he will join the gathering crew.

---

In the midst of preparing for the clan move and in the immediate wake of the Shadow assault, Moros the hoardkeeper asks for help packing the food stores. Zei swiftly volunteers and is about to give Gerard a significant glance when the skydancer immediately follows suit. He's creepy like that. He's always been a bit unnerved by his mate's partner; in a way, Gerard was a lot like the Icefields: intense, secretive and distant. But just like their homeland, there had to be a crack in the ice somewhere. Everything would be a lot smoother if they got along.

Between freezing the fish and chilling the insects, Gerard asks: "What made you stay?"
"Because of Mirinae."
"Obviously, but what about her?" Gerard snapped back. Zei pondered, frost riming his paws as he thought.
"I mean, it's everything, the way she just decides to have fun, when she cares so deeply then pretends not to, her drive, it's.... it's all the things that make her her." He looks back at the other drake. "I love her, Gerard. I do." The ambassador stared him down, the moment tense until he finally turned away.
"I believe you." Zei beams at the reluctant warmth in his voice. He's found the crack in the ice.

---

He finds out that the head gatherer died in the Shadow assault. It takes a few weeks of conversation with his ambassador mates and the remaining gatherers until he approaches Euryale with his suggestions. She nods at the appropriate moments and when he asks who she thinks should take the position, she immediately replies, "You." When he protests and offers his recommendation, she shakes her head.
"Funayurei is hydrophobic, she wouldn't be able to manage the fishers, and Natalica has other duties with the healers. You are the best candidate."

Three months in and, while he's not sure he was the right choice, he's glad she gave him the chance. He has grown out of himself to see these people as his people. There's a lot to learn from Artemis, Permetior, Natalica, and Ulcifet about their gathering methods, Kerria about her extensive garden, Lily about how to restore the resources they take, and it's hard to really understand and adopt it all. So when he needs to unwind, he goes fishing with Isonade. He's a simple drake and it reminds him of simpler times.


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